Unorthodox
by SizzlR
Summary: Lynn Loud is now 16, with a love of sports and now, a boyfriend. But when she is introduced to a new sport by a new friend, she might be forced to choose one or the other. Rated T for strong language and later on into the story
1. Pool

**Alright guys, I've been trying to get "A Year As A Loud" to keep going, but I just had this great idea. Here's the result of hurried along writing and a wonderful idea. Reviews and follows are appreciated. Just a heads up, this is not related to my other stories. Enjoy.**

"You almost ready to head out, babe? We gotta be at the place by 7 if we want decent seating..."

"Come on, Ross, give me a minute!" Lynn Loud yelled down the stairs to her boyfriend. She was 16, with long, brown hair and freckles on both her cheeks. She had met Ross back in the 7th grade when they played football together, and they had immediately hit it off. They has been an item since the last year. Not exactly considered "popular" at school, she took her relationship with Ross as, well, a pretty big deal.

"I'm just saying, Lynn, if you're not down here in like, 5 minutes, I'm leaving without you!" Ross was the poster boy for "Jock." He was 17, and he was tall, strong, and good looking in every way, shape, and form possible. He had blond hair that he wore as a buzz cut, and he stood at a height of 6' 1".

"Good lord, Ross, you're annoying!" Lynn said as she hurriedly walked down the stairs. "I was going as fast as I could!"

"Babe, I love you and all, but you are slower than my grandma sometimes. And she's been dead for 8 years now."

"Oh, knock it off, dude. Where are we going?"

"Well, you won't believe it, but I just got us seats at the new sports bar across town!"

"What?!"

"That's exactly what I said when I booked us! I heard that Franklins has been rated the best restaurant in town! And we're going!"

Lynn was speechless. She had heard good things about the sports bar across town, but it was expensive. And high class.

"But how did you get reservations? I heard they've been booked until next year!"

"Babe, it pays when your dad's got connections in good places. You ready?"

"Almost. Let me go say bye to my parents for a minute."

She went into the kitchen, where her parents were busy making dinner for their remaining 8 children. Even after Lori and Leni went off to college, they had to still manage to provide for their remaining children.

"Mom, Dad, me and Ross are leaving now."

"Have fun, Dear!" Her mother said as she cooked. "And remember, don't do anything that you'll regret later on. Got it?"

"Yes, mom, I got it," she said, annoyed.

"If he even lays a finger on you, Lynn, then I swear to god, I'll hunt him-"

"Dad, it's OK. He's still the same guy as the last time you met him."

"Hey, just giving him a warning," he said, making eye contact with Ross, who quickly looked away.

"Bye, Lynn!" Her siblings said to her as she began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Bye, guys!" She said as Ross escorted her to his car.

"Gee, how do you survive in a family that big? I don't like having one sister, let alone 7 and a brother!"

"Actually, it's 9 sisters. 2 are in college."

"Your parents are insane, you know that?" He told her as they drove off.

 **30 Minutes Later...**

"Excuse me, sir, madam, but this is for reserved guests only. You'll have to leave."

"Excuse me?" Ross asked the doorman who wouldn't let them in.

"You heard me, sir. I'm afraid I have to-"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Well, um, I don't think it will-"

"DO YOU FREAKING KNOW WHO I AM?!" He shouted, startling both the doorman and Lynn.

"N-n-no sir, but-"

"I'M ROSS CHANDLER!"

"C-chandler? F-from the rich family?"

"You got it, buddy. Now, I'm asking you to let me and my date in. And if you dont, well, I can tell you right now that you're gonna be joining those bums over there," he said, pointing to 3 teenagers who were loitering by the entrance. They seemed to look hurt at the accusation of being "bums."

"N-no, sir! A misunderstanding! Please, go in! I'm begging you!"

"Thank you! Next time, why don't you pick on someone else? Cmon, babe. Our table should be-"

"Wait! Those guys are with us, remember?!" Lynn said, pointing at the 3 outcasts.

"Lynn, what the hell are you-"

"REMEMBER?" she said while glaring at her boyfriend, who then realized what she meant.

"-sigh- fine, they're with us. Let them in." He said. "But DON'T expect me to pay for them!" He hissed at Lynn.

"Certainly, sir," the doorman said as he motioned to the avagrants to come in, much to their surprise.

"I'm sorry for my dates behavior," Lynn said to both the doorman and the 3 outcasts. "We'll be happy to pay for your food," she said, much to Rosses displeasure.

"Ah, no thanks, girl, you're fine. We only really want one thing in here..." one of them piped up, walking to the back corner of the restaurant.

 **5 Minutes Later...**

"Lynn, that was the stupidest thing I've ever seen you do! And you've done some pretty stupid stuff," Ross said as he glared over at his date.

"Oh, knock it off, Ross. They don't even matter to you anymore. They're over there, doing... Something."

Lynn looked over at the 3 men, seeing that they were about her age. The one that had talked to her was black, medium height, and wearing a leather jacket. He was standing by a tall Hispanic man, his hair in cornrows snd also wearing a leather jacket. The third one Lynn recognized as Sandy, a guy in her grade. While in no way related to Jesus, he had the look of him, with the long hair and beard, and he too wore a jacket made of leather. What they were doing, she didn't know, but she saw they all held a long, wooden stick in their hands, surrounding a table...

"Lynn?! Are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Can you repeat that?"

"-sigh- Well, I was out with my friends, and-"

"Would you two like something to drink?" Their waitress said as she came to get drink orders.

"-Grrrrr...- Yeah, get me a beer."

"Sir, are you over the age of-"

"Does it matter? My dad knows the owner, and if you don't get me exactly what I want, then you can be sure that you'll be looking for a new job come tommorow!"

"Would you like Budweiser or Coors Light, sir?"

"Bud. And what do you want, Lynn?"

"Can I get a Coke, please?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course you can, sweetie," the waitress said, writing it down.

"And, uh, can you get those 3 guys drinks, too?" She asked, pointing over to the 3 teens she let in.

"I think I can do that!" She said as she went over to take their orders.

"Lynn. Come on."

"What? They're our-"

"You said I wouldn't be paying for them!"

"Fine! I will, then!" She said as she stood up and went over to the 3 kids.

"Here you go, guys," she said as she gave each of them 10 bucks for the drinks.

They stated at her for what seemed like a long time, before the black one said, "What kind of joke are you playing, girl?"

"What?"

"This is a joke, right? You and your asshole boyfriend think we can't afford our own drinks?"

"First off, don't call my boyfriend an asshole. And second, I just want to make sure you have drinks."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt, dude..." the Hispanic dude said to his friend.

"Quiet, Colin, I'm thinking! You know, fine. You're friend over there can pay for our drinks."

"Uh, what're you guys doing, exactly?" She asked them looking down at the table that surrounded. It was lined with red felt, with pockets on each corner and side. On the table were several small balls, each with a different color and number.

"What does it look like? We're playing pool."

"Why?"

"Well, why wouldn't we play the greatest sport in this town?" Sandy said as he leaned down and aimed at the white ball with the wooden stick.

"Pool? Pool isn't a sport!"

As soon as Lynn had uttered those words, the 3 men turned and faced her. Even Sandy, who was in the middle of his aim.

"What the hell did you just say?!"

"Uh, that pool isn't a real-"

"You've gotta be kidding me! Pool isn't a real sport? Hah! What do you even know about sports, girl? You probably don't even know how to play!"

"Of course I do! Give me that!" She said as she took the stick from Sandy. She aimed and awkwardly hit the yellow ball with the side of the stick, causing it to hit the black one into the pocket.

There was an awkward silence. Then, finally, the kid that was called Colin said, "Dude, is this a joke?"

"Like I said, she doesn't know how to play! I told you!" He said to Lynn, now embarrassed by the fiasco.

Looking over to Lynn, the black kid said, "Look, girl, it's not easy to play-"

"My name is Lynn. Not girl."

"Ok, LYNN, I was saying that pool isn't as easy as you think. It takes practice. And effort. But I most of all, it takes-"

"LYNN!" Ross said loudly as he walked up to the pool table. "What are you doing?!"

"I was just, well, payi-"

"Avoiding me?! Cmon, we're leaving. The service here is shit, anyway..."

"Well, what if I don't want to leave, Ross?"

"And how exactly are you gonna get home without my car? Answer: you're not. So come on!"

"Hold up, hold up, hold up!" The black kid said to Ross. "Who do you think you are?"

"Eddie, be quiet!" Sandy whispered to his friend, but Ross said, "Who am I? Did you just ask me who I was?!"

"Are you gonna answer me? Who do you think you are, telling "Lynn" here what she can and can't do?"

"I'm her boyfriend, wise guy. And I say that we're leaving!"

"Well, guess what? Maybe she doesn't want to leave!"

"Now look here, you idiot, I'm one of the richest people I know. I practically own this place! So me and Lynn are leaving!"

"Gee, if you're such a good boyfriend, then why don't you let HER decide whether or not to leave?" Colin spoke up.

"-sigh- FINE! But don't get your hopes up! She'll follow me to the end of the world if she could! And you guys are just-"

"Actually, Ross, I think I'll stay for a little longer."

"WHAT?!" He yelled, stepping forwatd just as Eddie stepped between them.

"You heard her. Now get out."

He stood there, motionless, until he reached over, grabbed Sandys wooden stick, and snapped it over his knee.

"What the hell, dude?!" Colin said, going over to face Ross.

"Doesn't matter, anyway. My dad will pay for it," he said as he stumbled out of the restaurant.

"I think he might've had a bit too much to drink, there," Eddie said as Lynn sat down.

"Great. Now how am I supposed to get home?"

"I don't know, the bus?" Colin said as he was elbowed by Eddie.

"I can give you a ride home. My car is in the back parking lot."

"Wow, uh, thanks."

"I don't think I properly introduced myself, yet. I'm Eddie. Eddie Williams. And these are my buddies, Colin and Sandy."

"Lynn," she said as they shook hands.

"Cmon. I'll tell you the basics in the car. See ya, guys," he said to Colin and Sandy. They waved, and then resumed their game.

 **10 Minutes Later...**

"This it? 1216 Franklin?"

"That's the one. Thanks, Eddie," Lynn said as she got out of his old Toyota.

"No problem, girl. You ever need a ride, you know how to call me!"

"I do?" She said, confused.

"Oh, shit! I forgot!" He said, pulling out a pen and piece of paper. He quickly wrote his phone number down and told her, "Call this number if you need a ride or something."

"Thanks," she said as he drove off. She walked inside, up the stairs, and to the room that she and her sister, Lucy, shared. She got into bed and fell asleep. And for the first time in a while, she didn't dream of her boyfriend.

 **This was interesting to write, this chapter. Tell me if I should keep writing this or leave it alone. Reviews appreciated. Thanks, from RSizzle34.**


	2. Riding

**2 Months Later...**

"Lynn, look, I've already told you a million times now. I can't take you home!"

"But WHY? You haven't told me why, yet."

"I don't know, I have football practice? Geez, babe, maybe if you would pay attention once in a while, you would know this!"

"Ross, I can't be late again, or else my mom and dad will kill me! Tie already been late twice this week!"

"Well, I don't know what to say. Good luck, I guess?" Ross Ryan said as he closed his locker and walked away from his girlfriend, Lynn Loud. She walked to the outside of the school to begin the long walk home.

"What an asshole! Can't skip one minute of football practice for his own girlfriend! It's gonna be a long walk home..." she said as she put her hands into her pockets. When she did, though, she felt something.

"Huh. Weird..." she said as she pulled out a piece of paper. Glancing it over, is he saw that it was a phone number.

"Where did I get this?" She thought, trying to remember. It certainly wasn't Rosses. And it wasnt any of her siblings, either.

"Only one way to find out, I guess," she said as she pulled out her phone and ptyped in the number. Almost immediately after it started ringing, it picked up.

"Hello! Who is this?"

"Um, I'm Lynn Loud. I found this number in my..."

"Hold up. Lynn? From the bar?"

"Uh, maybe? I guess?"

"Aw, man, it's been so long! Remember me?"

"No... sorry..."

"No problem. I'll give you a refresher. It's Eddie. I was playing pool with the Mexican and Jesus, remember? And then your asshole boyfriend broke the pool cue?"

She suddenly remembered back to that day, how she had gotten a ride home from Eddie when Rosses left.

"You said to call you whenever I needed a ride, right?"

"Yep! Where you at, girl? I'll be there in a few!"

"Uhh, Royal Woods High School. Know where that is?"

"Know where it is? I know where everything is, sweetie. Don't question the genius."

"Uhh, ok. See ya," she said as she sung up, still confused over what just happened.

 **10 Minutes Later...**

Lynn saw the car coming up too the front of the building. It stopped right in front of her, and the passenger side window rolled down.

"Eddie? Is that you?" Even though Lynn vaguely remembered Eddie, he looked different. Instead of a leather jacket and a buzz cut, he wore a red Chicago Bulls jersey and had long, curley hair.

"Yep. Barely recognize me, don't you, girl?"

"Well, it's been like 2 months since I've seen you last," she said as she got in on the passenger seat.

"Ah, well, you know, I've been busy a lot. Gotta do a lot of stuff, you know?"

"Try telling me. I have so much homework and stuff to do."

"HA! Homework? Who does that?"

"Responsible people."

"Yeah, I figured," he snorted as they drove away, past the practice field. Toss looked up to see Lynn riding away from the school.

"Hm. She must've gotten a ride. No big deal... Wait. Haven't I seen that car before?"

 **5 Minutes Later...**

The two sat quietly for the first two minutes or so of the ride. They didn't even look at each other.

Finally, Lynn asked him, "So, how have you been, Eddie? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, I've been just fine. I got a car and pool to keep me entertained. I don't need much else, honestly."

"That's good. I guess," she said as she looked out the window. It was like that for another minute before she tried to lighten the mood again.

"I didn't know you were a Bulls fan."

"Yeah. I know we're, like, right next to Detroit and all, but I never liked the Pistons."

"Pistons rock, dude."

"Please. ONE championship? We have 4."

"We had Ben Wallace."

"And we had Jordan. Your point?"

Again, silence. But this time, it was Eddie doing the ice breaking.

"Hey, why don't I play some music?" He said as he reached down and grabbed a CD case from the floor.

"Eh, I don't care. I don't really listen to music," she said as he popped the CD in and a techno beat came on. "I just leave that to my-"

"OW!" Eddie suddenly said in a high pitched voice.

"What?" She said as he did it again after a few seconds. "Eddie, what are-"

"I TOOK MY BABY ON A SATURDAY BANG, BOY IS THAT GIRL WITH YOU-"

"Eddie? Eddie!"

"AND I DO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES, AND A MIRACLE HS HAPPENED-"

"EDDIE!"

"What? What?!" He said as she stopped singing and paused the music.

"What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like I was doing, TAP DANCING? I was singing!"

"What song was that?"

"Uh, "Black or White?"

"Never heard of it."

He immediately slowed down and parked on the side of the road.

"You have never heard of Black or White before?! By Michael Jackson?!"

"Who?"

"WHAT?!"

"Sorry! I leave the musical stuff to my sister! It's not really a big deal, you know."

He was about to yell some more, but he managed to catch himself. He sat back in the chair, and even though he didn't look it, Lynn could tell he was embarrassed.

"Look, its not-"

"Nah, nah. You're fine."

Then, for some reason, she began to laugh.

"What? What did I do?"

"Nothing," she said while laughing. "I just haven't seen anyone sing so..."passionately" before."

She looked over and saw that the embarrassed look on Eddies face had been replaced with a smiling one.

"Well, MJ is pretty good, I guess... and I do get caught up in the music sometimes. Sorry you had to see that."

"No, no, you're fine! It was actually pretty good singing, too."

"-chuckle- Gee, thanks. No one tells me that. Even Colin and Sandy think it's annoying."

"Well, aren't you gonna turn it back on?"

"Really?"

"Yeah! It sounded good!"

"Well, If you insist, I guess..." he said as he hit the play button. He rolled down the windows of the the car as he got back on the road.

 **10 Minutes Later...**

"Oh, you weren't THAT bad, Lynn. I sounded a lot worse than that when I started singing."

"Please. I sounded like a dying horse being run over by a steamroller."

"Oh, don't lie to yourself! You were fine. This is your house, right? 1216 Franklin?"

"Yep. Thanks for the ride, Eddie."

"No problem. Same deal as last time? Call when you need a ride!"

"Ok, I will! Bye!" She yelled as he drove off. She walked inside, only to see her brother Lincoln standing at the door.

"Oh, hey Lincoln. I'm just going upstairs."

"Did Ross get a new car or something? I've never seen him drive that one before."

"Oh, um, yeah. That's his," she lied. Lincoln looked up to Ross as almost a brotherly figure. Honestly, she couldn't tell anyone about Ross, lately. Not unless she wanted a constant reminder of how great he was at everything.

"Dang! I should've gone out and said hi. Well, see ya, I guess," he said as he went into the kitchen and her up the stairs. He thought about it for a while is he made a peanut butter and saurkraut sandwich.

"Doesn't Ross have practice right now? Or does he just get to leave whenever he wants? And when did he get that car? And I thought I saw...dreadlocks? Somethings not right. And I intend to get to the bottom of it."

 **End of chapter 2. Ask any questions through reviews or PMs. Thanks, from Rsizzle34.**


	3. Eddies House

For the next few weeks, Lynn got a ride to get home through Eddie. He was a well deserved break from school, which Lynn wasn't too good at, and Ross, who was, well, ROSS. The way she saw it, it was a win-win.

That day, Eddie picked her up at the usual time and place, but as Lynn got in the car, he told her, "Hey, can we go to my house before I drop you off?"

"What? Why?"

"Oh, I just forgot some stuff. No big deal."

"Well, ok, but you have to make it quick. I'm supposed to be home by 4:45."

"What time is it, 2:30? We got plenty of time, girl!"

"Eddie, you know I don't like it when you call me girl."

"Sorry, Lynn. I'm just out of the zone today, ya know?" He said as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Like, nothings gone wrong, but it just feels, different. Like there's something missing. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It happens to me, too."

"Well, at least I ain't driving alone. Care if I listen to some MJ?"

"Nah, you're good. I kinda like him, to be honest."

"Yeah. Too bad he's dead. He'd probably have a #1 hit right now if he was alive."

"Wouldn't doubt it."

15 Minutes Later...

They turned onto a street Lynn hadn't seen before. They drove for a few minutes longer, then parked in front of a small house that showed bad signs of decay.

"Ok, I'll be right out. Give me 5 minutes."

"I'll be right here,"she said as he hurried in.

"Ok, 2:45. He'll be out in a minute."

 **1 Hour Later...**

"Or he'll stay in there for a damn hour!" She said as she got out of the car and went up to the front door. She knocked first, but no one answered.

"Come on! There has to be a way in!"

She looked around, her eyes settling on an open window to the basement. She went over and tried to look in, but she couldn't see anything.

"Well, only one way to go," she thought as she got down and tried to get in. After a few minutes, she managed to get in. She fell a few feet, finally landing on something hard and making a loud noise. The lights flipped on, revealing a very angry looking Eddie.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He asked, his leather jacket on.

"What does it look like? You need to drive me home!" She muttered as she hopped off the table.

"I can't! I'm having friends over and I need to practice!"

"Couldn't it wait until AFTER you took me home?!"

"No! If I don't win tonight, I'm not the leader of the group anymore, OK? Its something me, Colin, and Sandy do every year. I have to beat them, so walk home or something. You live like 10 minutes away."

She was about to say something, but before she could, she got a glance around the room. It was in bad shape. The paint was peeling in a lot of places, and the windows were broken. The only nice thing in the room, in fact, was the pool table.

"Where did you get the pool table?" She asked as she admired it. It was ornately decorated, with red felt and a white chalk line on the lower 2/3rd part.

"None of your buisness," he said, turning away. "I got it a long time ago."

She began to ask a question, but she saw the look on Eddies face. The one where he was embarrassed and wouldn't talk until you stopped. She didn't ask him about it.

"Eddie. Please give me a ride home."

"No."

"What is your problem? You said that you'd give me a ride home, and now you're back tracking on your words. "

"First off, nothing is the matter, and second, I never said I'd give you a ride."

"Then why did you pick me up?"

"I don't know, instinct?" He said as he aimed his pool cue at the white ball.

"Eddie-"

"Look, Lynn, I'm sorry, but I can't give you a ride. This is really important to me."

She watched him for a while longer, watched him aim and hit the white cue ball at a colored one. She watched him hit the striped balls into pockets like it was no sweat.

"You're really good, you know."

"Ha! That's a joke, right?" he said as he hit another ball into the pocket.

"No, you're actually good at it!"

"Seriously? I couldn't beat a drunk guy in a bar playing like this. Believe me, I've tried."

"Well, I don't think you need practice to beat your friends, don't you?"

"Uh, are you kidding? Those guys are the best players I know. I could never beat them."

"Then how are you the leader of the group?"

"Luck. Lots of luck."

She continued to watch him pocket the balls.

"You were telling me at the bar that you need patience and effort to play pool, remember?"

"Nope. Did you have anything else to say?"

"So, how exactly do you PLAY pool?"

He stopped himself and looked at her.

"You want to learn how to play pool?"

"Sure! If you say that it's a real sport, well, I play every sport. And this is no exeption."

"Why should I teach you how to play? There's more qualified people than me to teach you how to play, you know. I learned from a professional, myself."

"Well, if you learned from a professional, then you know how to play like a professional, right?"

"That would be logic, yeah."

"Then teach me how to play!"

"Look, if you want to learn, then go see a professional. Not-"

"I get it. You're just too scared that I'll be better than you," she said, a smile slowly appearing on her face.

"NO! It's just that-"

"That I could eventually beat you at it?"

"No, no, no! -sigh- fine, I'll teach you how to play pool!"

"Awesome! Let's get started!" She said, picking up a pool cue.

"Hold up, seriously? Not right now! I have to get ready!"

"Well, if you aren't gonna teach me, then take me home!"

"Fine! Just, go get in the car!" He said, turning around and walking upstairs to get his keys.

 **5 Minutes Later...**

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the first time that had happened since the first ride.

Finally, Eddie spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry if I sounded rude, alright? It's just been a long day and all for me, and-"

"Eddie, I know. You don't have to apologize."

"No, no, I should. It's the polite thing to do. It'd just, stressful, you know? I need to defend my spot as the leader. It's the one thing I got going for me."

"Well, what about at school? Do you do anything there?"

"Nah, I dropped out last year. I got to much going on to do well in school, you know? Like, if you're not gonna put maximum effort into something, then why do it?"

"I know, right? I wish I could drop out of school sometimes, but my parents would never let me. How did you convince your parents to let you?"

He was silent for a while, before answering, "It wasn't to hard. I told them I wanted to, and they said sure."

They arrived at the Loud House 5 minutes before she needed to be home.

"Thanks for the ride, Eddie."

"Ah, no problem. Just call whenev- Oook, then," he said as Lynn headed over and gave him a hug.

"So, when do I start learning how to play? Does Saturday sound good?"

"Saturday? Uh, I mean, sure! Saturday sounds great! I'll be ready, then."

"Great! See ya then!" she said as she hopped out of the car and went into the house. Eddie sat there for a minute, holding the steering wheel in one hand and looking down in awe. When he finally managed to have it sink in, he was a lot more confident. He slowly nodded his head as he smiled in disbelief.

"Saturday...Yeah, I'll be ready," he said with a smile as he drove off.

 **That Same Time..**.

"Babe, I know you like football and all, but why do you want to play it so bad?" Ross texted his girlfriend as she sat on her bed.

"Because I like to play football, Ross. What's the big deal?"

"Well, I mean, girls aren't really made to be put out onto a field and tackle people, you know? I mean, leave it to the guys, will ya?"

"Yeah, whatever," she texted, rolling her eyes as she read what he had wrote. It sickened her to realize she had practically developed into a mini verson of Lori, minus the NONSTOP texting. She didn't care to text her BOYFRIEND that much.

"Hey, I saw you with that black guy we were with at the bar, you know. You were getting a ride home, right?"

"Yeah, he was just giving me a ride home. And his name is Eddie."

"Is he nice to you? Cause if he isn't I'll beat him senseless, you know that?"

"Yes, Ross, he's fine. He's really nice, and funny, and kind. A great guy."

He took a while to answer, saying, "Gee, babe, you seem awfully fond of him, don't you?"

"Oh, Ross, we're just friends. And besides, you're my boyfriend. He's just my ride home," she said uncertaintly.

"Ok...Lynn, I'M your boyfriend. Remember that at the end of the day. Night, babe."

"Goodnight, Ross," she texted as she put her phone down. She sat on her bed for a while, just thinking, when her sister Lucy came in.

"Oh, hey, Luce. What's up?"

"-sigh- nothing. Everybody is too happy here," she said as she sat down on her bed. They were silent for a while, until finally Lynn spoke again.

"Lucy, can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not. What do you want?"

"Well, say that I have a great boyfriend, and-"

"Ross."

"Yeah, him. But say that there's also a really great guy that-"

"that guy that takes you home everyday."

"How do you kno- never mind. His name's Eddie, but yeah. So, should I stop talking to Eddie if Ross wants me to?"

"That's your decision, Lynn. Not mine. I try to stay out of boy trouble."

"Ok, no problem. Thanks, Lucy," she said as her sister left. She lay down on the bed, more confused than before on what to do.

 **2 Hours Later, Eddies House...**

"She hugged me, dudes! She actually gave me a hug!" Eddie said to Colin and Sandy as they played pool in his basement.

"Wow, fascinating. Tell us more," Sandy said ad he took aim, hitting the yellow ball into the pocket.

"Dude, do you think she likes me? I think she might."

"Eddie, she's got a boyfriend," Colin said to him. "I don't think it would work out."

"I know that, Colin! I'm not trying to be Mr steal yo girl or anything. But honestly, screw Ross. He's an asshole, anywa-"

"Eddie, it's your turn," Sandy said to him as he missed the ball completely. "You get a free place."

"Aw, sweet," he said, grabbing the ball. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, so Lynn was-"

"Eddie, if I didn't know better, I'd think you may have a small crush on Lynn," Colin said as Eddie aimed.

"Well, maybe a little bit. I mean, she IS funny. And pretty. And has the voice and body of an angel personi-"

"Ok, buddy, I think that's enough of that," Sandy said. "Hey, are we going back to Franklins anytime soon? I mean, that place was good the last- what?" He said as Eddie stared him down.

"Sandy, you know what I said. I'm not going back there."

"Dude, I know it's hard to think about, but-"

"But what? They have pool? They've always had pool. It's the people that-"

"Dude, let it go. If it makes you feel any better, I'll pay for your meal."

"-sigh- fine. But just this one, single, last time, got it?"

"Got it. Saturday sound good to you guys?"

Colin nodded his agreement, but Eddie said, "Well, I already made plans to teach Lynn how to play, so I guess I cant-"

"Dude, they have pool there. Take her along and we'll all teach her!"

"Well, if you insist. I'll text her," he said, pulling out his phone and texting her.

"Hey, you mind if we go to Franklins instead of my house to play pool? My friends insist."

After a minute, she responded.

"Sounds good. Pick me up at 6 ish?"

"Sure. See ya," he texted as he turned it off. "Dude, is this a date?" He asked his friends as they played on.

"I don't know, maybe? It's just pool. Not a wedding or funeral."

"Well, it might as well be," he said as he hit the 8 ball into the pocket. "And that was the last ball. I win," he said as he walked upstairs, his friends wondering and staring in disbelief at how he made the shot.


	4. Eddie

**Warning: strong language in this chapter.**

"Eddie, what's wrong? You seem nervous," Lynn told her friend as he drove them over to Franklins Sports Bar. It had just opened a few months ago, but now that the grand opening was finished, it was much more feasible for people to get in, especially without the owners best friends son threatening the doorman.

"Nothing! I'm fine. Just a fever, I think," he said as he parked in a handicapped parking space.

"Eddie, you can't park here."

"Why not? It's an open space, so I took it."

"It's for handicapped people, though."

"So? We are handicapped," he said as he placed a handicapped driver marker on the window.

"How did you get that?"

He hesitated for a moment, before answering, "My dad. He broke his leg in a construction accident when I was a kid. He used this for a while, but we kept it to get good parking."

"Wow. I'm, um, sorry," she said, unsure of how to respond.

"No problem. It wasn't your fault, was it? But there's Colin and Sandy going in. You ready to learn, Lynn?"

"Hell yeah I am! I'm pumped!"

"Well, the first thing is this: don't be. Be calm and patient. That's what wins you the match in the end," he said as they got out of the car and walked to the door. "And also, this is a gentlemens sport. No trash talking or anythi-"

"I'm sorry, sir, but do you have a reservation here?"

He stood in place, about to say something before looking at Lynn out of the corner of his eyes. He leaned in and whispered something to the doorman, who promptly opened the door.

"After you, Mr. Williams. And you, Miss Loud."

"Um, thanks?" She said as they walked in. They walked in to see Colin and Sandy already at the table.

"Dude, where have you been?" Colin asked him. "We were waiting for you! We had to bribe the doorman into letting us in! Even after we mentioned Fr-" he stopped as Sandy and Eddie glared at him.

"Alright, so you want to learn how to play pool?" Eddie asked Lynn.

"You know the answer. Lets do it!"

"Ok, so Sandy here will tell you the rules."

"Me? Oh, ok. Well, the first thing you need to learn is the rules. See those pockets on the corners? And the 2 on the sides? The goal is, using this cue, to hit the colored balls into the pockets. Notice how some of the balls have stripes, and the other ones are solid colors?"

"Yeah," she said, unsure of where the conversation was heading.

"If you hit, say, one of the solid balls into the pocket, then you can ONLY hit the solid ones from there on out. The goal is to get all of either the solids and striped into the pockets, then hit the 8 ball in. Simple enough, right?"

"I guess so. So can I start using the stick now?"

"Oh, boy," Colin mumbled as Lynn continued to learn.

 **1 Hour Later...**

"And THAT'S how you hit the 8 ball in on the break. Simple enough?"

"Yep!" Lynn said confidently. As it turned out, she was a natural. She learned quick, but that didn't help out a lot when the manager came over.

"Alright, what are you kids doing in here? This is a private restaurant!"

"No, no, sir, I'm here with friends. I'm allowed to-"

"Be here? Says who?"

"The owner?"

"HA! fat chance! Alright, get your stuff together and-"

"No! I'm serious! Go get him! He'll recognize me!" Eddie said, a sense of anxiety in his eyes.

"-sigh- fine. If it makes you leave faster, then I'll go get him. He's having a dinner party with friends upstairs. And he does NOT like being interuptted." He turned around and walked back upstairs.

A moment of silence. Then...

"Dude, this isn't good. He's gonna-"

"Relax, Sandy! We're staying. He can't tell us we can't. I mean, I AM-"

The owner came down before Eddie could finish.

"And so I tried to tell them to leave, Mr. Columbio, but they said they knew you and forced me to come get you! I doubted them, but-"

"No, no, Russell, it's fine. I do know them."

"Thank god!" Eddie said, going to shake his hand. "Mr. Columbio, sir, you are a-"

"So, you must be Lynn! How are you doing?" He said to Lynn, completely ignoring Eddie.

"Im, uh, fine, Mr. Colum-"

"Ok, Lynn, just call me David. Any friend of Dan Ryan's son is a friend of mine."

"Ok, then. Thanks, David."

"Now, what's the problem here?"

"Well, the security guard is asking us to leave, but we're allowed to-"

"Oh, and one other question. Who are THOSE bums?" He said, motioning towards the group.

"They aren't bums. They're the people I'm here with. And they want to play pool."

He turned to face the group, the smile on his face now replaced with a frown.

"Ok, all of you, out. This is a high class res-"

"Wait, David, sir!" Eddie said before he finished.

"Kid, it's Mr. Columbio to you. But what is it?"

"Well, I'm allowed to be here, sir. It's in the contract, I think."

"Kid, what are you talki- wait, are you Eddie?"

"Yeah, yeah! Franklins grandkid! Remember, the contract said-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what the contract said. But you still have to leave, kid."

"What? Why?!"

"Because I said so?"

"But that isn't fair! I'm allowed to be here with my friends! Im-"

Look, kid. I'm gonna say it one more time. Get out. And take these hobos with you," he said, pointing towards Colin and Sandy.

Colin tried to chime in, saying, "Sir, he's Franklins gra-"

"I know that! But this is a respectable buisness, kid. And you're ruining the reputation. And besides, wasn't a pool cue broken the last time you kids were here?"

"Well, yeah, but by-"

"I don't want to hear it. Now get out, before I call the police and have them arrest you for tresspassing!"

"FINE! WE'RE LEAVING!" Eddie shouted as he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, followed by Sandy and Colin. Lynn was walking out, too, when she was stopped again.

"Lynn, where are you going? You can stay, you know."

"Me? And not them?"

"Well, yeah! You're respectable enough. And you- Ok, I guess she's leaving," he said as she stormed out the door after Eddie.

"Oh, well. I should call Ross and tell him what's happening. I don't think he'll like the fact that Lynn spending time with those...deplorables."

 **Outside...**

"I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!" Eddie shouted at Colin and Sandy as Lynn came out.

"Well, we weren't kicked out the last time, dude! Just stop for a minute and-"

"And do what, mope?! Hell no! I'm leaving. And don't follow me," he said as he got in his car and drove off.

"Hey! He's my ride home!"

"Ah, don't worry about it. We'll give you a ride," Sandy said to her, visibly shaken.

"What's wrong with Eddie? He was really upset."

"Well, he doesn't like to talk about his personal life much. But if you go inside the front door and look at the wall, you'll see why," Colin said, pointing towards the door.

She walked inside and turned to see a portrait. The man in it was middle aged, black, and wore no fancy clothing at all. Instead of the suit that you would see on inside, he was wearing work boots, jeans, and a white shirt. The panel below it read, "Franklin Williams, Founder, _Franklins Sportsbar._ "

"His grandfather..." she thought as her phone went off. She answered it, saying "Hello?"

"Lynn, babe! What's up?"

"Oh, hey Ross. Nothing much, really. I'm just at home, sitting on-"

"Really? Because that isn't what Mr. Columbio told me on the phone when he called and complained about you and your "friends" disrupting his dinner at Franklins."

"Look, Ross, it isn't any of your-"

"Uh, YEAH, it is. Here's what's gonna happen, Lynn. You stop talking to Eddie. Don't look at him, talk to him, or get a ride from him. And if I find out your doing ANY of that, well, you can kiss me goodbye."

"Ross, you don't control my life!"

"Ha! That's a joke, right? Since when does the girl have any say in the relationship, anyways?"

"Well, I do get a say. And let me tell you, meathead, that you cant-"

"Woah, baby, watch the language! You calling me a meathead is like saying that you're a bitch. And believe me, you sound like one right now."

"Ross, im hanging up. You're-"

"I swear to god, Lynn, if you hang up this god damn phone, I'll make SURE you don't see that monkey you call Eddie again! Got it?!"

She hesitated a moment. She had never heard her boyfriend be this bad before. Scared, she quietly replied, "I'm still here, Ross."

"You better be. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yeah. You talk to Eddie, you're done with me. And you know what happens then? You lose your friends. You lose your happiness. You lose, period! And believe me, I'll be checking to see if you've been talking to him."

"Ok, I got it," she nervously replied as she shot a desperate look towards Colin and Sandy.

"Good. Now, where are you? I'm in my car, and I'm coming to pick you up."

"Actually, I-"

"Shut up! You're riding with ME, Lynn. No one else! Now where are you?!"

"Uh, Franklins. The sports bar."

"Ok. I'll be there in 5 minutes. Bye."

"By-and he hung up," she said, holding back tears.

Colin was the first one to go and talk to her.

"Was that Ross?"

She nodded.

"Well, what did he say?"

She shakily told him the whole conversation.

He was quiet for a while. Then suddenly, he lofted his head and yelled as loud as possible to no one, his voice echoing in the sky.

"THAT MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"

"Woah, settle down, Colin!" Sandy said as he ran over to calm Colin down.

"I'll freaking kill him! I will!"

"I know, man. I know, but just settle down. Lynns been through enough shit today."

He settled down just as Rosses red Chevy pickup rolled into the parking lot.

"I'll tell Eddie what's going on, Ok? I gotta run. Bye!" Sandy said as he and Colin ran away.

"Get in," Ross said as she climbed into the truck.

As they got onto the road, Lynn tried to say something.

"Look, Ross, im-"

"Be quiet. Just, shut up, please."

The rest of the ride was silent, until they got to her house.

"And Lynn, if you tell anyone about what I said, it's over. No one needs to know, don't they?"

"N-no, I guess not."

"Good. And I WILL find out if you told anyone. You've been warned, Babe. Now get out."

She got out and walked to the front door alone. She went inside, ran upstairs, sat on her bed, and silently cried.

 **End of chapter 4. Don't worry, It gets more positive and happy as it goes along. Thanks for reading, from your main amigo, Rsizzle34**


	5. Franklin

Lynn woke up in her bed, still thinking about what had happened last night. What Ross had said to her not only made her upset, it had also frightened her.

She laid down on her bed as her phone rang. Grudgingly picking it up, she said, "Hello."

"Hi, this the Brick and Mortar Pizza Company! I'm looking for Ross Ryan. Is he there?" A familiar sounding voice asked.

Lynn, still not fully awake, said, "Ross? No, he's not here right now."

"Oh, thank god! I really didn't want to have to make a pizza to send you. Lynn, how are you? What happened?"

"Eddie?"

"Uh, no, this is President Donald Trump speaking. Of course it's me!"

"Sorry. II just woke up. Eddie, you really shouldn't be calling. Ross said-"

"I know. Colin told me everything. And believe me, Lynn, I will beat the living shit out of him if he does ANYTHING to you, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Did Colin say that you couldn't give me rides anymore?"

"Yeah. But get ready to leave your house. I have to show you something."

"What is it?"

"The reason I don't like going to that sportsbar."

 **45 Minutes Later...**

"So, why exactly DO you hate the sportsbar?" She asked Eddie as they drove on the highway.

"I'll tell you when we get to where we're going. It's not something I talk about much."

They drove for a few more minutes, until they turned into a parking lot and got out.

"Wait, why are we at the hospital?" Lynn asked as she saw the sign for Royal Woods Hospital.

"Just wait," he said as they went in. "It will explain itself."

He went up to the nurse at the front table and said, "I'm here to see Franklin Williams, please."

"Hold on, hun, I'll ask if he's awake," she said as she pressed a button.

"Mr. Williams, are you awake? Mr. Williams?"

After a minute, an old voice said, "Yes? Who's this?"

"It's Nurse Sorensen, sir. You have visitors."

"Is it my grandson? Because I've been meaning to talk with him, you know."

A quick nod had the nurse say, "Yes, sir, it is. He'll be up in a sec." She motioned for the two to follow her as she stood up.

They followed her through a maze of hallways wuntil they reached a room. The door was open only a crack, but Eddie opened it. There, sitting on the bed, was an old man, black, with white hair and glasses, watching sportscenter on the TV.

"Grampa?"

The old man turned his head, his face lighting up when he saw him.

"Eddie! How ya doing, kid?" He asked as he walked into the room, followed by Lynn, who stayed in front of the door. Eddie sat in the seat that had been put by the bed for visitors.

"I'm doing good, gramps. How about you? Is the treatment working good?"

"Oh, yeah, it's been great! I feel like I'm 50 again sometimes."

"That's good! You can still play pool then?"

"Oh, yeah! I can still beat anyone! If the nurses would let me have a table in here. I've asked them, but they always ignore..."

His voice trailed off as he saw the other person in the room. Confused, he turned to this grandson.

"Who's the girl?"

"Oh, uh, Grampa, this is Lynn. Lynn, this is my grandpa, Franklin."

"Hi, Mr. Williams. How are you?" she asked him, holding out her hand for him. He grabbed a it and said, "I'm doing good, kid. And call me Franklin."

"So, gramps, are you happy here? At the hospital instead of the house?"

"Oh, yeah. Not exactly the same, but it's pretty damn close. Except for pool! There is never any on TV!"

"Well, not a lot of people do watch pool, Grampa."

"Well, THIS guy does. I wish I could complain to them, but the nurses won't even let me near a telephone anymore. Not after the last incident..."

He turned back to Lynn, now smiling.

"Now, before I forget your name, Lynn, I have to ask you. Has my grandson been a good boyfriend to you?"

"Grampa!" Eddie said as his cheeks became flushed, but Lynn politely answered.

"Oh, no, he isn't my boyfriend, Franklin. Just a really great friend," she said, smiling for the first time that day.

"I see. You need your privacy. I need to talk to you, Eddie. Alone," he said, motioning to Lynn to leave. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She sat there for a few minutes, not knowing what they were saying. She thought of pool, instead of them. About the break, the pockets, and the thrill of the 8 ball rolling into the corner.

After a few minutes, Eddie came out, his face red. She assumed it was from tears, but she couldn't be sure. He leaned over and told her, "He wants to talk to you, now."

"About what?"

"I don't know, I'm not him! Now go in!"

She hesitated, then walked in. Franklin motioned for her to sit on the chair next to him, which she did.

After a while, he spoke up.

"How's Eddie been treating you? Nice?"

"Oh, yeah. He's the nicest guy I know. He's been giving me rides from school to my house for a while now."

"I see. He told me he taught you to play pool. That true?"

"Yep. He taught me everything he knew at the sportsbar."

"You know, that used to be mine."

"I know. I saw the portrait."

"Yep! Best bar in town to sit down, drink, play pool, and watch football. That is, until I got Bone Cancer."

"Wow, uh, sorry, Franklin. That must be tough."

"Well, it's a part of life, you know? You live, you love, you die. But it seems to me like you aren't doing one of those things."

He sat up straight in his bed, revealing that he was well over 6 foot tall.

"You look hurt to me, Lynn. Not physically, but emotionally."

"Well, yeah, I guess. How did you know?"

"Well, when you own a bar for 40 years, you learn things about humanity. But who is it, Lynn? The one that's hurting you."

"His name is Ross. Ross Ryan."

He stared at her for a while.

"Ross Ryan? As in, Dan Ryan? As in, friend if Mr. Columbio, the man who cheated his way to my bar?"

"Yep. Three for Three."

"Yeah, I never trusted them. They had been after the bar for years. Said they wanted to turn it into a new, hip bar. I didn't sell, though. That bar was 40 plus years of hard work, ya know."

"I can imagine."

"Yep. Look, Lynn, do you love Ross?"

"Well, yeah," she lied. "He can be stupid sometimes, but-"

"Sometimes? That ain't how Eddie described it. Lynn, what he's doing is abuse. Plain and simple."

She stopped for a few seconds. She put her hands on her head, only to pull them back. She had been crying, and she didn't notice.

She turned back to Franklin, who still was paying attention.

"I can't do it anymore, Franklin. I just, can't," she said in a small voice.

"Then DON'T do it. Break up with him."

"I can't! He said that he would-"

"It doesn't matter that he said, what matters is if he actually does it. If you don't like him, leave him."

She took a breath, thinking of the options. She didn't want to be with Ross anymore. She knew that. But his words, his actions... he said that he would do horrible things, and be sounded like he meant it.

"You aren't the same, are you?"

"What?"

"I can tell that you used to be...happier. More athletic, maybe? I can't be sure."

"How did you know that?"

"Well, I'm old, aren't I? I know everything! But in all seriousness, it's obvious. You look, well, DEFEATED. As if you've given up on yourself."

She thought about that. She had loved sports a few years back. She could play every one to them. But not since she and Ross made it official. Ross had told her that he didn't like her playing. He said that it was because of injury risk, but now... Lynn doubted that.

"Kid, you're still in there, somewhere. I can feel it. But you have to let Ross know that, too."

"But what if-"

"What if? If you ask yourself what if, you'll never be able to work up the courage to do it!"

She sat in silence. Finally, she stood up.

"You're right, Franklin. This isn't me."

"That's it! Who are you, though?"

"I'm Lynn Loud! I don't need someone telling me what to do and not!"

"There you go!"

"AND I DON'T NEED ROSS RYAN IN MY LIFE ANYMORE!"

"Yes! I mean, no! You don't!"

She turned and spoke to the old man.

"Thank you, Franklin. For making me realize."

"Oh, don't thank me, Lynn. Thank Eddie."

"Eddie?"

"Yeah. He told me about the problem, didn't he? He deserves some credit."

"Yeah...a lot of credit..." she thought as she thanked him one more time. She walked back to the hall, where Eddie was sitting on a chair.

"How did it go, Lynn? Was he as great as I told-"

He stopped talking as Lynn leaned down and kissed him. His eyes bugged out for a second, before realizing what was happening. He closed his eyes and stood up, but Lynn stopped.

"Wait, why'd you stop?"

"It feels...wrong. lm still dating Ross, you know? In my mind..."

"Yeah. Kinda hard to get over that, right?"

"Can we go home? I need to actually start getting in shape again, and my house is the perfect place."

"Whatever you say... babe."

He smiled to himself the whole way down the stairs, out of the building, into the parking lot, and in the car as they drove off. Because for the first time in a while, both Lynn and Eddie were perfectly happy.

 **Still a few more chapters to go, guys. Im on vacation in the city this weekend, so expect to hear from me in a few days. Gracias.**


	6. Ross

While the rides home from Eddie usually involved either singing, laughter, and joy, there was very little of that. All that lingered in the air was an awkward, but good feeling. And neither Lynn or Eddie wanted it to end.

But like all good things, it ended. She turned to the driver and said, "So, you never told me what happened."

Not looking away from the road, he began to talk.

"So, you probably know the sports bar was Franklins. My grandpa."

"Yeah?"

"He owned it for a long, long time. But around year 20, some guy walked in. Said his name was Dan Columbio."

"The owner."

"Technically, yeah. Anyways, he tried to buy the place. Right there, at the bar. Luckily, he said no, but Columbio wouldn't stop. He tried for the next 20 years to get that bar. And the pad part is, he had a friend. A really, really rich friend."

"Rosses dad?"

"Correctamente. They tried for a long time. But I wasn't even born yet, around this time. And I didn't live in Royal Woods forever, you know."

"Well, where did you live?"

"Oh, just a little place in the east called New York City. No big deal."

"Really?!"

"Oh, yeah. Born January 29, 2000 at Lenox Hill. Son of Maria and Tim Williams."

"Were you a Yankees fan? Or Mets?"

"Actually, I-"

"Knicks or Nets? Islanders or Rangers? Giants or-"

"I moved when I was 2. To Royal Woods."

"Oh," she said as she sat back.

"Yeah. Anyway, you know how I said that my dad was injured in a construction accident?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well, that's true. He was going to work when he fell into an unguarded manhole."

"Really? I thought he-"

"Worked as a construction worker? Nah. I wish. No, he was an accountant."

"Wait a minute..."

"Putting it all together?" He said softly.

"Accountant...Early 2000s...Eddie?"

She looked over to see he was crying. Not loudly, but still, she could see the emotion in his eyes, still trying to smile through the tears.

"Tim Williams. Born March 4, 1969, died September 11, 2001."

"Eddie...I'm sorry..."

"I didn't even know him. I didn't even know what happened. I was 18 months old. But I guess it was too much for my mom to take. The memories, ya know? She packed up our stuff and moved to her dad's hometown. Royal Woods."

He continued to talk, though they had turned onto Franklin Avenue.

"Gramps was the one who taught me how to play pool. He was the best player I ever saw. Could probably have made a living doing it. But a few years ago, he went to the hospital for a routine checkup."

"He told me why he was there. Bone Cancer, right?"

He nodded.

"Stage 3. Not fatal, but still enough to make the doctor recomendamos him to sell the buisness. Would've been best for his health, he said. And he could use the money for treatment."

"So he sold it to Mr. Columbio..."

"Yeah. Unwillingly, though. He wanted to buy it for 200,000. It cost my grampa 2 Million to make."

"What?! How did he get the money?"

"One word. Lottery. But still, the old man managed to get 1.5 from that dirt bag, Columbio. Enough to have him get enough treatment to live in the hospital, wasting the rest of his life watching pool from his bed."

He parked in front of the house.

"You know, Lynn, when you hold a pool cue, you don't hold it normally. You aim it really weird."

"I was copying you, though. I just figured I should do what the teacher does."

"Well, if it works, then it's fine. But there's a word that describes that."

"Really? What is it?"

"It's a term, actually. But it's called an _Unorthodox Stance._

"So, what are you trying to imply?" She asked, confused.

"Well, there's something thats really... well, special, about you, Lynn. I can't really tell what it is, though. But I think that I figured it out."

She looked over, seeing that he was getting flustered over his words.

"What do you think it is, Eddie?" She asked him softly.

"Well, it's just that you're, um, well..."

"Eddie, you don't have to be worried. Just say it."

"You're, well, Unorthodox, Lynn. You see me differently than most people. I can be myself when I'm around you. I'm not really the guy you saw that first time in the bar, you know. It's like, whenever I'm with you, I feel happier! And when you aren't with me, it feels...WEIRD. Like a part of me is, well, void. Lynn, gonna say it. I think I-"

He shut up as Lynn kissed him for the second time that day. They stayed like that in the car for a long time, even longer than the last one. Finally, they stopped, both of them staring into each other's eyes.

"I thought you were still dating Ross."

"Well, I guess I can make an exception. I'm gonna break up with him soon, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess so. I gotta get home, Lynn."

"Alright," she said as she got out of the car. "See you soon, Eddie."

"Lynn, please. Call me dude," he yelled out the window as he drove off.

"Wow. Just, wow," she thought as she walked up and opened the door. "I think I might be in-"

"LYYYNNNN!" Ross fake cheerfully said as he hopped off the couch, Lincoln sitting there as well. "Where were you, babe? I was worried sick!"

"Oh! Ross, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, just waiting to pick you up. Ive been here since 1 o'clock. It's 8 now, Lynn. 8!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but-"

"But what?! Did you just forget about your boyfriend to hang out with friends?! And I know that isn't true, because you have none. Just me, and no one el- wait."

"Ross, sit dow-"

"You were with Eddie, weren't you?!"

"Look, it wasn't a big deal! We went to-"

"What makes you think you have any right to talk to him, Lynn?"

"And what makes YOU think you have a right to talk to my sister that way?" Lincoln said as he got off the couch.

"Linc, dude, don't get involved. This is between-"

"Let him talk if he wants to, Ross. And-"

"SHUT UP!" he shouted at her. She quickly flinched, than sat up.

"Don't yell at her! She didn't do anything wrong!"

"Uh, yeah she did. She-"

"Did what? Tell you her opinion?"

"Yeah! She doesn't get an opinion!"

Lynn had finally had enough. She stood up and jammed her finger into her "boyfriends" chest.

"Now, LOOK HERE, Ross. I am sick and tired of you telling me what to do all the time!"

"Babe, get out of-"

"Don't call me "babe!"

"Ok, LYNN, just sit-"

"No! I won't sit down! I'll tell you what I think of you! You're a scumbag!"

He chuckled. "Ha! A scumbag? As if! I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you, Lynn. Just face it."

"That's it! You're conceited! You think that you're better than everyone else, just because you own Franklins bar!"

"FRANKLINS bar? It's only called that because that's what the stipulation said. When he dies, it official the Columbia Sports Bar!"

"Ross, it's over."

"And it'll have booze! Food! And- wait, what?"

"You heard me. I'm done with you, Ross. You are nothing but a lying, stupid asshole!"

He stood there a moment, not knowing what to do. Finally, he walked to the door.

"Lynn Loud. If I ever see you again, then that's it. I don't care if you're a girl, I don't care if you're my girlfriend, I don't care if you're in school! I WILL be there, and I WILL not hesitate to beat you up. Got it?"

"I'll tell the police."

"Ok? I'll bribe them, anyway. They can't do anything. Money talks in this town, Lynn."

"Get out of the house, Ross. Now."

"Fine, fine, I was just leaving!" He said as he opened the door.

"And Lynn? Fuck you, bitch. I never cared about you anyway."

With that, he walked out the door, got into his car, and drove away.

 **Few more chapters to go, still. Thanks for the patience.**


	7. Pick Up

"Wow, mom. I can't believe I'm actually going on a date!" Eddie said to his mother as she straightened his tie. His mom was short, round, and very loving. He knew that it had been hard without her husband around, and he made sure to always be a great son around her.

"Oh, Eddie... I can't believe it either. You've grown up so fast..."

"Now, ma, don't get emotional on me. You're gonna make me cry."

"I can't help it, Ed! You've gone from barely walking to walking your date to your car! Speaking of that, what was her name again?"

"Lynn. Lynn Loud, my friend. She's real pretty, Ma. And nice."

"Well, she better be! I don't want no one sided relationship going on here!"

"Oh, ma... she's been through that already. And it wasn't too pretty."

"Well, tell her that I give her my best wishes. Eddie, your father would be so proud of you..."

"I bet he would, Ma. I bet he would."

As his mother finished tying the tie around his neck, he put on one of his dad's old suit jackets.

"Do I look anything like him, mom?"

"If you two were standing side by side, I wouldn't be able to tell you apart. You even have the same haircut," she said as she pointed to his now buzz cut head. Suddenly, the clock struck 7.

"Oh, god, it's 7 o'clock already! The reservations are at 8!"

"Where are you going to eat?"

"Oh, just grampas place. I get in free, you know. And I've been saving money, just in case this moment ever came."

"Well, have fun! And remember, BE A GENTLEMAN!" she yelled as he ran to the car.

"I WILL! LOVE YOU!" He yelled as he hopped in and drove off.

 **Meanwhile...**

"Leni, I already called doing her hair last night!"

"Yeah, but it's today! Not last night!"

"Neither of you get to do it, because I already called it!"

"Would all of you chill out? It's not really a big deal!"

"Uh, are you kidding me, Luan?!" Lola said to her older sister, who was sitting on Lynns bed. "This is Lynns first date with her new boyfriend, and-"

"Actually, he isn't my boyfriend," Lynn said as she walked in. "He's just a nice guy who asked me to dinner."

"Yeah, JUST dinner," Leni sarcastically said as she got a bottle of nail polish off the shelf. "Either way, it's a date. And you have to look nice!"

"Yeah! You don't want to scare him off, do ya, sis?" Luna said to her.

"Well, no, but-"

"Sit down! Your hair is a mess!" Leni said as she for a comb and started raking it through her hair.

"Guys, it isn't this important! I really don't think-"

"Hey, I haven't even seen this guy yet! What's his name?"

"Eddie. Eddie Williams, my friend. He's nice, and athletic, and-"

"You didn't put makeup on yet!" Lola yelled as she rushed to put on eyeliner for her sister.

"-sigh- you guys are blowing it out of proportion. Believe me, I would know," Lucy said as she walked out of the room.

Lana chimed in next. "Yeah, I'm not seeing the big deal here. It's one date. Just like with Ro-" she stopped as a hand flew over her mouth.

"Well, I personally believe that this will lead to nothing good. According to my calculations, the chances of this date failing stand at 74 percent, taking in all the information that I've gathered from our dear sisters description of him. But personally, I hope to be the bridesmaid at the wedding," Lisa said, smirking at the last line.

"Lynn, dear, we're all for you on this one," her mom said as she came into her room with her husband. "I know that it's been difficult the last few weeks, but I know you can move on."

"Thanks, mom."

"And just remember, Jr, if he puts a HAND on you-"

"Now, Lynn, don't be like that. She's already mentally ready, you don't have to ruin it."

"Hey, I'm just saying," he said as the entire family heard the car pull into the driveway. The kids all gathered around the window, trying to get a glimpse of Lynns date.

 **Outside...**

"I can do this. I can do this. I, can, do, this," Eddie said as she stood in front of the doorway. "I mean, her house can't be that bad, right? She's probably an only kid, anyway," he mumbled as he knocked hard on the door.

Soon, the door opened, revealing a middle aged man wearing a blue sweater and khaki jeans.

"Um, hi! You must me Lynns father," he said meekly as he held out his hand to him.

"You must be Eddie. Come on in," he told him as he went in and sat on the couch.

After a few minutes of awkward sitting, Eddie tried to get a conversation going.

"So, uh, do you like sports, sir? Like Lynn?"

He glared at him. After a minute, he said, "Baseball. And maybe some Basketball in there too."

"Oh, I love baseball! The White Sox are doing well this year, aren't they?"

"Im sorry, the WHITE SOX? this is Michigan, kid. We like the Tigers here."

"Nah. I never cared for Detroit sports. But it's good to see-"

"Oooh! So this must be the boy!" Lola said as she walked down the stairs, followed by her other sisters. Eddie took one glance at the group of sisters and almost fainted.

"Oh, god..." he thought as they began to ask him questions.

"How old are you?"

"Do you read comic books?"

"Quick, give me the square root of 169!"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

He tried to answer all of them, but soon got lost in the conversation. Thankfully for him, Lynn came bounding down the steps to give him some space.

"Guys! Give him room! He isn't a zoo attraction!"

"Depends on who you ask," he thought as he stood up from the couch. Clearing his throat, he spoke to the whole group.

"Well, I guess we'll be off, then. No sense staying here all night!"

"Remember, Lynn. Be home by 11:00, got it?"

"Yes, dad, I got it! Goodbye!" She said as she hugged him and ran out the door. As they drove off and Mr. Loud went to his room, the siblings all exchanged looks.

"Luna, you just got your license a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. I think we might have dinner reservations for Franklin tonight, and we may need a ride there..."


	8. Spying

"Are you excited, Lynn? About this date?" Eddie asked his friend as they parked outside the front door of the sports bar.

"I guess...it's kind of weird, though. Like, Ross doesn't matter anymore."

"And he never has too again, Lynn. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah, I know, I know! But all of my time was revolving around HIM. I don't know what do do now, you know?"

"I know what you mean, girl. I know what you mean."

"Eddie..."

"What? Oh, shit! I forgot that you don't like that name."

"Hey, I don't care right now. I just want to have a good time tonight, OK?"

"I got you, Lynn. Now, would you like me to escort you into the building, madam?" He asked i a faux british accent as he held out his hand to her.

"Why, certainly!" She said. "And that was a good English accent, by the way. Almost as good as my sisters."

"You really think so? I'm really not good at accents."

"Oh, yeah! You almost sound like Lun-LUNA!" she whispered the last part as she saw here sister get out of a nearby car.

"Uh, oh. I think she saw me!" She said to the few people in the car.

"Act natural! Don't draw attention to yourself!"

"Uh, too late for that, bro," she said as Lynn marched over to face them.

"What are you doing here?!" She hissed.

"Uh, what does it look like? We're hungry!"

"We are? I thought we were doing a stakeout of Lynns date!"

"Leni!"

"I knew it!"

"Lynn, we just want to make sure that this doesn't end up like your last relationship! We gotta make sure the guy-"

"First, his names Eddie, and second, if you guys don't leave right now, I won't hesitate to get my old football gear out of my closet..."

"But we already made reservations!"

"-sigh- fine! Just sit as far wawa as possible from us, got it?"

"We got it, Lynn! Just make sure that he's a keeper!"

"And don't forget to set the "bar" high for him! Ha ha ha! Get it? Because it's a bar?"

"Goodbye, guys," Lynn said as she walked away, rolling her eyes at Lunas corny pun.

 **In The Restaurant...**

"So, how was your day?"

"Uh, good, I guess. I mean, it could've been better, but still."

"Yeah. I played pool all day. Not really anything new."

"Yeah, sounds cool."

"Yeah..."

They sat there in silence as music thumped overhead. There was a party on the upstairs floor for a private party, so the downstairs was packed, as usual.

Over at another table, the scene was different.

"C'mon, Lisa, I can't see! Adjust the binoculars!"

"Again, explain to me why you can't do this yourself?"

"Uh, because I'm the spy? I tell you what's going on!"

"I don't see how that helps, but if you insist..."

As they were talking, Lincoln hears a small plink below his seat. He looked down to see a quarter, and picking it up, felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, kid, can we have that?"

He looked to see a Hispanic kid with dreadlocks, and a kid who looked remarkably like Jesus. If Jesus was WA biker, anyway.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Here you go," he said, flipping the coin over to him.

"Thanks, chico. Hey, what're you guys even doing?" The Hispanic kid asked, looking at the binoculars.

"Uh...well, you see, our sister is on a date here, and-"

"Oh, no way! Our friend has a date here, too! We were just spying on him, actually."

"Really? That's crazy... who's your friend?"

"Uh, that kid right there. Black guy with the buzzcut."

"Really?!"

"Uh, yeah? Who else?"

"That's our sisters date!"

"Wait, you're Lynns sisters?!" The Jesus kid asked.

"Yeah! The guys name is Eddie, isn't it?"

"Yeah! I think we should introduce ourselves, dude."

"Oh, yeah! Uh, well, I'm Colin. And this is Sandy."

"Nice to meet you," the kids said as they all shook hands.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Luna. Nice to meet you, Dude!"

"Nice to meet you, Luna. I'm Colin."

 **Meanwhile...**

The outside was dank, a with a light drizzle outside. The parking lot was packed as a familiar looking truck rolled into the parking lot.

It parked in a spot reserved tfor the firemen, and as the driver got out of the car, the baseball bat that he had ready fell to the wet ground.

"Shit," Ross mumbled as he bent down to pick it up. Holding it, he looked at the restaurant.

"Lynn, you made the biggest mistake of your life. Believe that."


	9. Rosses Attack

"Lynn...Lynn...Lynn..." was the word repeated through Rosses mind as he walked in the front door off the bar. Seeing the portrait of the original founder, he glared at it for a brief second, before spitting the gum he had been chewing onto the face.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Lynn were busy over by the pool tables.

"Ok, let me get this straight: YOU want to face ME in a 1 on 1 match of pool?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

"Uh, Lynn, I don't mean to sound arrogant or anything, but you're going to die."

"Oh, it's on, Eddie. It is on!"

 **The Other Table...**

"Awww! They're bonding over pool!"

"Lola, would you be quiet?! I'm trying to hear what they're saying!"

"Well geez, Lisa, I'm sorry that I feel happy for my older sister! Why don't you just focus on the machine instead of me?"

"-sigh- some people..." Lisa grumbled as she kept working on the machine. At the other table, it was much less technological and a lot more rowdy.

"CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG-"

"DONE!" Colin yelled out as he slammed his mug down on the table.

"Dang! Record time, too!" Lana said as she counted the seconds on her fingers.

"Dude, I didn't even know you could chug Ginger Ale! Are you even supposed to do that?"

"No..." he said as he covered his mouth. Standing up, he ran towards the bathrooms.

"Hope he feels better soon. This party is rocking!" Luna said.

"Oh, he'll be fine. Just needs to get rid of the soda. He'll be back in 10 minutes ready to chug bleach, if you ask him!"

"I sure hope so...now, what looks fun?"

"Hmmm...how about the "Shirly Temple?" Sounds bold..."

"That your drink then, Lana? WAITER! One large Shirly here!"

"Coming right up, hun," the waitress said to the group. "And, um, we've been receiving some noise complaints for this table, Ladies and, um, Sir. You know I'll have to kick you out of I get any more..."

"No problem, sugar! We'll keep it on the low for now!"

"Alright, now that that's settled, would you like a straw with that?"

Sandy and Lana exchanged glances.

"I think she'll be fine," he said as they both evily smiled at each other.

 **The Bathroom...**

"Dude...NEVER chug Ginger Ale again..." Colin said as he wiped his mouth in the mirror. "That was probably the worst decision I ev-"

 **WHAM!**

He turned to where the door had been slammed open, and noticing a hooded figure, he stepped back.

"What the..."

"YAHHHHH!" The figure yelled as he ran towards Colin, his hands being raised over his head to reveal a small, wooden baseball bat. He brought it down hard, hitting Eddies friend on the shoulder.

"Fu-" he started to scream, but he was interuppted by the bat being driven into his side. He collapsed, struggling to bet air into his lungs.

"Be quiet! I don't want anyone hearing you!"

He recognized the voice almost immediately.

"Ross?" He wheezed as Lynn ex kicked him on the side.

"SHUT UP!"

"W-what do you-"

"I said, SHUT UP! If you say another god damned word, I swear to God I'll-"

"Do what? Kill me?"

"God damn it, you Mexicans never shut up, do you? Guess what, buddy?"

"D-don't call me-"

"I'll call you whatever I goddamn want to call you! Hell, I can call you the Fritos Bandito, do you like that?"

"I don't-"

He was hit again by the bat.

"Shut up, Colin! I want Lynn. Where is she?"

"Why do you want her?" He asked angrily.

"Does it matter?! I want to see her, and I WILL see her! WHERE IS SHE?!"

"S-she left with-"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE!"

"I'm not-"

He felt a sudden sense of dread before Rosses fist connected directly to his nose. His head flew back, finally stopping before his neck would be snapped. Even as his head lay still, he could feel the blood running down his face, the pain in in his nose.

"Damn, they teach you to punch in practice, Ross?" He asked in a nasally tone.

"Listen, wise guy...you tell me where I find Lynn, or else something bad happens. And you don't want anything bad to happen to you, do you, you wall jumper?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh,I don't know...maybe I'll punch you again? Or maybe, I'll punch your friend Sandy? -gasp- Maybe I'll punch Lynn? Yeah, I like the third option the best, don't you?"

"You wouldn't..."

"Oh, I would, though!" He said, pacing around the room while thumping the bat on his hand. "See, Colin, Lynn might not want to admit it, but she needs me. Every girl needs a big, strong man like me in their life!"

"You've done nothing for her."

"What?! I've done plenty! I've helped her see her self value! I helped her get past all the men's jobs! I helped her, Jorge! I really did!"

"You made her feel worthless, you cunt!"

"Say something like that again and you can bet that your getting a vacation to La La Land, buddy. Say it again! I dare you!" he said as he leaned down to him, his voice becoming much more serious.

"She left. She said something about going to the lake shore with Eddie."

"Oh, that little monkey... you know what? I believe you! In fact, you can come with me, Colin! We can search together!"

"I'm fine..."

"Oh, no, I insist! Unless, of course, you're... LYING."

He had finally had enough of it.

"I swear, Ross, if you hurt her, I will make sure you-"

 **WHAM!**

He slumped over, unconscious.

"Night, night," Ross said to him as he grabbed him under the arms. He threw him into a stall, then shut the door.

"I search the restaurant, then go to the shore. I'm coming, babe. I'll be there for you!" He laughed as he walked out.


	10. The Showdown

"Ha! I pocketed the 8 ball! I win!"

"Oh, you got lucky. You got so, so lucky..." Eddie mumbled to himself as his date celebrated.

"What's the matter, "champ?" You mad that I beat you?"

"Uh, yeah? Best two out of three?"

"You're looking for another loss? Well, I guess another match wouldn't hurt..."

 **At The Table...**

"Gee, what's taking him so long? Colin isn't usually in the bathroom this long..."

"Oh, he's probably fine, dude!" Luna said to Sandy. "He probably just had too much to eat before he came."

"Well, I'm gonna go check it out," he said as he stood up and began walking towards the bathroom.

"Aw, he's gonna miss me chug my drink!" Lana complained. "I wanted to rub it in!"

"He'll be back, Lana. He's just going to find Colin."

"I know that! I just-"

"Guys! Code 14-D over here!" Lisa said as she peered through the binocular lenses. At once, the Loud siblings were gathered.

"What's going on? Did they kiss?!" Lenin asked.

"Even worse. Eddie just bought her a drink."

"AWWW!" The sisters said, minus Lisa.

"Aww" is right," she said. "That is, as in "aw, man!" See, this can only mean one thing. These two are-"

"Completely in love!" Lola cried out.

"No! There is a significant amount of-"

"Cuteness over there!" Lori interrupted.

"NO! When you buy someone a drink, you basically say that-"

"I love you!"

"Would all of you be quiet for a moment?!" Lisa said, almost shouting. The group finally turned to her.

"Good. Now, as I was explaining, buying a drink for the other is a sure sign that the date isn't going well. It's fairly obvious that the drink was meant to lessen the awkwardness of the situation, and even that is not appearing to be working. Based on studies I've conducted, I've concluded this date I had approximately a 4.23% chance of success, with a the chances of a follow up date being a staggering 0.07%."

"Gee... that doesn't sound too good," Luan said.

"Yeah. Especially of you aren't making a pun out of it," said Lincoln.

It was at that moment that a hooded figure approached the group at the table they sat at. He staggered over to the girls before leaning up against the table.

There was an awkward silence before Lori spoke up.

"Uh...sir?"

The hooded man immediately raised his hand, holding a wooden object up.

"Ddont make aa moove," he said, his voice drawn out and slurred.

"What? Wait, who are-"

"I SAAID, DOON'TT MOVVE!" He shouted, making sure no one could hear a other than those around him.

"Oh, wow," Lori said before she put her hands up. The others, unsure of what do do, put their hands up as well.

"Noow then... doo youu know wheere I caan find aa Lyynn Loud att?" He asked, turning to the group.

"Lynn? What do you want with... wait..."

"Ohh, youu knoow her? GREEAT! Yooure alreeady bettter than thee last guy! Alll HE did was punch mee..."

"Ross?" Lincoln asked him. Almost immediately, he found the figure turned to him. It pulled off his hood, revealing a battered Ross.

"LIINCOLN! Myy goood buddy! How youu doingg?"

"Why do you want Lynn?"

"Oh, yoou know... I wanted too see how thee date is goinng. No biig deall..."

"You look hurt..."

"Oh, thiis? No big deeal. I was using the batthroom, and you woont believe it, but JEESUS wallked in and tried to KILL me! Of coursee, I beat him up for infoo, but hey! At least I knoow she's here!"

"Jesus? Wait, where's Sandy? And Colin?!" Luna asked.

"Oh, thee illlegal? I thinkk hee may want too go hoome now..."

"You beat them up, didn't you?" Lincoln asked, fearfully. "Y-you used the bat to beat them?"

"I kneew you were going plaaces, kid! Now, wheeres Lynn? I want to congratttulate her oon her daate..." he mumbled as he began to walk forward, but he was stopped.

"You aren't going anywhere near her, Ross."

Ross stepped back in confusion at the show of defiance. After a moment, though, he raised his bat and struck the person nearest to him in the side of the head.

Lincoln fell before he knew what had happened. He hit the ground, darkness taking over his eyes. He heard screaming, and then darkness.

"Stuupid Liincoln..." he mumbled as he kept walking towards the pool tables.

"Did you hear that?" Lynn said as she looked up to where she heard the sound.

"I don't care right now... I'm focusing..."

"No, I heard screaming. I think it's my family, Eddie..."

"Oh, they're fine, Lynn! Nothing would ever happen... oh, no..." he said as he saw the familiar man behind Lynn.

"Guess whoos back!" Ross yelled, still woozy from the hits he'd takes from Sandy.

Eddie spoke first.

"Ross, what do you-"

"Get out of here, nigger."

"What?"

"Do you speeak English? LEAVE!" he shouted as he held up the bat to him. Eddie, looking shocked, backed out of his sight, but stayed where he could see them.

"Lynnn! Miss me?" He asked her as he picked up a pool cue.

"What the hell do you want, Ross?" She asked him with a slightly wavy voice.

"Oh, nothing! I juust wanted to see-"

"Get out of here, Ross. I dumped you for-"

"SHUT UP, BITCH! I'M THEE ONE TALLKING!" he yelled.

"Woah," she said, backing away.

"You're a bittch, you knoow thatt, Lyynn?"

"Me?" She asked, both angry and confused. "You're the one that treated me like trash!"

"I treeated you like anny woman should be!"

"Ross, I don't want any trouble," she said, noticing the bat he held in his hand. "Just leave, and this won't be a problem."

He stared at her for a long time, before finally answering.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Lynn."

"And why not?"

"Lynn, do you know what happens when women step out of line?" He asked. When she didn't respond, he continued.

"They get punished, thats what. And you aren't any special exeption, either. So here's the plan: I have a bat. I am going to use the bat. For what, you might ask? I'm gonna beat you so hard that you're gonna beg for mercy."

"You wouldn't..."

Oh, but I would! I'll beat you so hard that even a little, "tough" girl like you will know who the real people in this world are. You like that?"

"Don't even think about it, Ross..." Eddie said, standing up.

"SHUT UP, MONKEY!" He yelled. He turned back to Lynn and kept going.

"Where was I? Oh, yeah. After I'm done with you, I think I might go and show that nigger over there what real men look like. After that, I don't know. I saw a really nice family here today. 9 sisters, I think. I hit the boy, though. Too sad. I may go back after this, though. The one looked really good, that one in all the pink...I can show her a good time, you know what I-"

 **WHAM!**

Ross staggered back, throwing his free hand up to his face. After a second, he looked at the hand, and seeing it covered in dark crimson, he turned back to his former girl, pure evil in his eyes.

"How the fuck did you do that?!"

"Oh, you know," Lynn said, brushing off her hand. "I may have taken karate lessons when I was a kid. Shocking, I know. Didn't think a girl could fight, I see..."

His next words came out as a loud growl.

"You're dead, bitch."

He lunged at Lynn, swinging his bat over his head. She dodged it, and the weapon connected with the pool table, leaving a dent in it.

"That's solid slate under there..." Eddie said, terrified. Ross heard him and turned around, but he managed to duck out of the way before he could be seen.

Ross turned his attention back to Lynn, who had gotten in front of him. He threw the first punch, which missed. She threw a hook, hitting him in the side of the face. He came back, managing to graze her chin with his fist.

At the other table, there was debate on what to do.

"Left hook thrown... She got him in the side...Ooh! Ross with the near blow!"

"Lisa, if you would stop commentating and help us get Lincoln up, this would go a lot faster!"

"Well, sorry! I just started a new study on the effects of fist fighting the other day, and I'm getting some much needed research done. In fact, that's the only reason I agreed to come here in the first place."

Suddenly, Lincoln began to open his eyes.

"He's awake!" Lana said. He sat up, rubbing the side of his face.

"What happened? I feel like I got run over by a cement truck..."

"You got hit by a baseball bat, bro. Are you ok?"

"I think so... is my face ok?" He asked, taking his hand off the side of his face.

"Ah!" Was the response. The left side of Lincolns face had swollen to half its size.

"I'll take that as a no, then. Where's Ross? Is Lynn ok?"

"You might want to watch them, Lincoln. They're really going at it..."

He turned his head to see Lynn deliver a blow to Rosses side.

"Guys! Aren't we worried about Lynn?"

They stared at Lincoln.

"Are we worried about Lynn? The same Lynn that took out 10 guys at once? On roller skates?"

"Guys, you know she hasn't been into that stuff in a few years... we need to help her!"

"I don't know, dude... she seems to be winning. And I don't think anyone wants to go head to head with Ross."

"Well, if none of you will go help our sister, then I will!" He said, running over to join the fight.

His sisters looked over to where the fight was taking place.

"He must've hit his head too hard, I guess..."

"Either way, don't you think he had a point, guys? I mean, she's our sister! We HAVE to help her!" Luna said.

"I guess you have a point..." Lori replied, deep in thought. "Ok, here's what we're doing..."

 **Meanwhile...**

"OOF!" Lynn grunted as Ross landed a kick to her stomach.

"Give up, Lynn! You know I'm gonna win!"

"Fuck you!" She spat out before punching him in the chest.

Eddie was hiding under a table, trying to find a good time to escape. Suddenly, he had a realization.

"This is the girl I invited here... this is supposed to be our first date! And Ross is trying to kill my date and I'm cowering under a table! No. That isn't how this ends..."

He stood up, running over to the fight. Ross looked over just in time to see a fist connect with his nose, causing it to bleed some more.

"YOU LITTLE-" he screamed, but was interrupted by another punch to the stomach. He looked down to see Lincoln, viciously trying to hurt him with his fist. Ross grabbed him by his neck, and lifting him up, threw him over a pool table like he was a rag doll.

"LINCOLN!" Both Lynn and Eddie yelled. Ross, seeing the opportunity, balled his hand up and leveled Eddie with a single punch to the jaw. He crumpled, grabbing his grace as he did.

"Ha! I won, Lynn! I took out both of your allies!"

"No..."

"Maybe if you give up now, I'll give you a chance to escape. Or maybe not.

"No..."

"Oh, yes! Get ready, bitch. I'm gonna make this hurt a lot!"

"No..."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" he yelled, but he was answered by a different person.

"No."

He looked over to see 8 of the 10 Loud sisters standing in the doorway.

He was silent, then let out a hearty laugh.

"HA! You really think you can beat me?! Oh, my god, that's hillarious! If 2 guys can't take me out, what makes you think-"

"CHAAAAAAAAARGE!" Lola screamed. At once, the sisters began to gang up on Ross.

"Oh, well. If they punch, they're fair game..." he thought, swinging punches left and right. After a few minutes, though, he found himself overwhelmed by the 9 to 1 fighting.

It was around that time that the security guard came around to do his daily rounds.

"OK, WHAT IS GOING ON OVER- oh. Another bar fight," he mumbled to himself. But as he looked closet nand saw the fight participants, he began to worry.

"M-Mr. Ryan! MR. RYAN!" He shouted as he ran upstairs, while the fight continued.

Ross managed to knock down a few of the girls before turning his sights back onto Lynn. He raised his fist into the air, ready to deliver a final blow. Before he could, however, his hand was grabbed by someone.

"What the-" he said as he turned his head. Lynn, seeing the opportunity, punched him squarely in the jaw. At last, Ross fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Well, I guess we aren't getting any more drinks, then," Lana said as she let go of Rosses hand that she had grabbed. Almost immediately, the door slammed open, revealing a security guard, Mr. Columbio, and a man Lynn recognized as Rosses dad.

"Ok, WHAT the hell is going on down here?! I was-" He stopped as he saw the body on the ground.

"Oh my god, ROSS!" He yelled as he ran over to his unconscious son. He kneeled down, and finding that he was alive, turned to face the girls.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Oh, nothing much," Lynn said. "Just knocked him out, maybe a broken nose... he'll be gone in a month."

He stood up, looking directly at Lynn.

"Miss Loud, I blame ALL of this on YOU. My bar is RUINED! There's glass everywhere! And there's a DENT in the pool table! A DENT IN SOLID SLATE!"

"Woah, sir, what makes you think it was ME? I was defending myself from your SON!"

"My son was supposed to be at home tonight!"

"Well, I don't think that I went to your house, picked him up, drove him here, then beat him senseless!"

"THEN GIVE ME A REASON HE'S HERE!"

"It's quite simple, actually," Lisa began to explain. "See, Ross, still mad at Lynn for breaking up with him, came here to stop her date with Eddie and send her a message before-"

"Hold up. EDDIE?!" He screamed. Almost immediately after he said that, Eddie woke up. He staggered to his feet, using the pool table as balance.

"Someone say my name here?" He asked, dazed. At once, Mr. Ryan was on him.

"Eddie! I thought you were told to NEVER come here!"

"Hey, it's a free world, Ryan. I'm allowed-"

"Not if I have you on the "No Enter" list, you're not! Look what you've done!"

"Seriously? You want to blame ME for this?!"

"Not you entirely. You, Lynn, and these other people..."

"And not your son?"

"MY SON IS LAYING KON THE GROUND WITH A BROKEN NOSE!"

"Umm, ok? That doesn't make him any less guilty! I'm sure If you go to the bathrooms, you'll find 2 people that your son mauled!"

He wore a worried look on his face. He knew that they were probably right.

"You have no proof of it."

"Actually, I'm sure the surveillance cameras captured the entire ordeal. I'm sure the police would like those in their possesion."

"Police? No, I'm sure we don't need to-"

"And we can use all of the smashed objects as evidence against-"

"STOP! I've heard enough!"

The siblings, Eddie, and Mr. Ryans group looked at him expectantly.

"Look, I know that my son probably started all of this. But I don't really think we need to get the police involved with this, do we? I mean, we can work out an agreement, can't we?"

"Hmm..." Eddie thought. "I have a solution. Hoe about we won't tell anyone that this ever happened-"

"Yes, yes..."

"And in return, you and Mr Columbio-" he whispered the last line to him. Immediately, Mr Ryan stepped back, a look of pure anger on his face.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Oh, but sir, if we go to court and settle it there, I'm sure it ends the same way there as it could here! And I'm pretty sure the court would find some other interesting pieces as well... like the forged documents that muddle the real stipulations..."

"FINE!" he shouted, reaching into his coat pockets. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a pen, and signed his name on it. He walked over to his friend, still fuming.

"Bryce, sign here."

"Sir, I am NOT signing over-"

"Bryce, do you want to go to jail for something as ridiculous as this?! Sign the damn paper!"

"Oh, my god..." he mumbled ad he took the pen and signed it. Mr Ryan took it back and handed it to Eddie.

"Take it. It's yours. Now if you'll excuse us, me and my son will be leaving."

He motioned for Mr Columbio to help him, and together they picked up the unconscious Ross and took him to the front doors. Before he was out of the room, though, Ross woke up, dazed. He saw Lynn before he was taken out, and he managed to mouth a final "fuck you" before he disappeared.

There was a long, awkward silence for a minute, before the security guard spoke up.

"So, um, who's gonna be cleaning up this mess, here?"

"Oh, I don't know yet," Eddie said. "It's to hard to choose who."

"Wait, what? You don't choose-"

"Oh, yes I do. As of 3 minutes ago, I'm the official owner of Franklin's Sportsbar."

"What?!" Both the guard and the Louds said.

"Yep! Well, technically, my grandpa is. But while he's in the hospital, I'm in control of the day to day operations."

"So, you're my new boss, then?"

"Yep! And you're first job is to make sure this looked like it never happened."

"B-but theres-"

"No buts! In fact, if you get done by tommorow, you may get a pay raise..."

"Well, better start cleaning, then," he mumbled as he grabbed a broom from the closet.

"Wow. I'm ready to go home now," Lori said as everyone nodded in agreement, including Lynn.

"Yeah. I'm exhauste- wait, where's Lincoln?"

"Ughhh..." a familiar sounding voice said. Lincoln stood up, his face completely bruised and bloodied.

"Ooooohhh..." The sisters cringed.

"Uh, I think we should go to the hospital first, though."

"Yeah, I like that plan," Luna said is a everyone nodded in agreement.

Eddie turned to Lynn, beginning to speak.

"So, uh, this was the most interesting date I've been on in a while..."

"Oh, yeah. It was pretty interesting..."

"So, uh, you interested in another date? But this time no fights?"

"Hmm... let me get back to you on that one," Lynn said as she began to walk out the door. Before she did, though, she gave Eddie a quick peck on the cheek before running after her family.

Eddie turned back to the carnage in the room.

"I don't know if that was a Yes or No... but I have bigger fish to fry right now."


	11. Epilouge

"Wow! You actually got the bar, Ed?" A middle aged bearded man said from in front of the counter. The man he was talking to turned around to face him, cleaning a glass as he did.

"Well, I got the restaraunt. I couldn't legally run the bar until a year ago."

"Ok, ok, slow down here," another man said, holding his head. "You're trying to say that you got into a massive fight right over there in the pool area?"

"That's right. I didn't really fight, though. That was-"

"And I seriously doubt that this "Lynn" you're talking about is even real. I mean, 10 SIBLINGS? And you had dreadlocks?"

"Aw, come on, Ted! Let him tell the rest of the story!"

"There isn't really much left to tell, Drew," Eddie said as he put the glass on the shelf. "I got the restaurant, Ross had his ass handed to him, and Lynn found herself again. Thats pretty much it."

"What happened to your grampa?"

"Him? He's still hanging in there. He's had himself a few medical crisis, but he's pushing."

"Wow. You're a damn lucky guy, Eddie. You know that?"

"Oh, I've heard that a few thousand times. It doesn't faze me. Speaking of a few thousand times, I think I told you two to hit the road."

"Ah, cmon, Ed! One more Guiness? It's St. Patricks Day..."

"Sucks to be St Patrick. We closed 30 minutes ago."

"Fine. We'll show ourselves out," Ted said as he got out of his seat. He and Drew walked out the front door into the cool March air.

"Oh, shit! HEY, TURN THE OPEN SIGN ARO- damn it! I'll get it myself."

He walked over to the door, only to see a rather large charter bus pull into the parking lot. On the buses side was a familiar logo.

"Holy... COLIN! SANDY! GET DOWN HERE!" He shouted to the top of the stairs. Almost immediately, two men appeared at the stair top, wearing white aprons.

"You called, Eddie?" Colin said. He wore a large scar on the right side of his face, a result of the fight against Ross years prior.

"Guys, you aren't gonna believe this. Guess who just pulled into the parking lot!"

"Uh, Chris Webber?"

"Close, but no. It's a freaking Michigan sports team!"

"What?! In Royal Woods?"

"I don't know, but get ready! We're gonna have a lot of customers in a minute," he said as the doors to the bus flung open. At once, the team walked off the bus.

"Who is it? Football?"

"You idiot! Why would they play football in March? No, its- oh, no."

"What?" Sandy asked as Eddie turned around, terror stricken.

"I'm not here! I went home sick!" He shouted as he ran and jumped behind the counter.

"Hm. Wonder what got into him. Oh, well, here they come!" Colin said as a man came in, probably a coach.

"How many tables you need? Sandy asked to the man, who looked rather unimpressed with the scenery.

"Uh, 15 tables for 4, I think. Or should we get 16, Frank?" He asked his assistant. Behind them, a group of girls came in, looking exhausted.

"Ok, 16 tables..." Colin wrote. "And may I ask who this is? Are you from the community college?"

"What? Oh, no, we're from Michigan. This is the girls basketball team. We just got done with a playoff game."

"Really! We just got done watching the mens game on TV! Did you win?"

"Oh, yeah! The girls played hard! But I think we all know the reason we won..."

At that moment, a familiar looking girl walked into the front door, looking towards the front counter.

Colin leaned over to Sandy as he began to realize who the girl was.

"Dude... that's Lynn!"

"What? It can't be. We haven't seen her since she was in high school! No way!"

"Well, coach? What's the real reason you guys won?" Colin asked him, standing up straight.

"Well, we had a major contribution. See that girl that just walked in? That's Lynn Loud. She hit the go ahead shot to give us the lead with 3 seconds left."

"Wow, fascinating..." he mumbled as he realized Lynn was staring his direction. She began to walk over to the two men.

"Speak of the devil, here she is!" The coach said, backing away.

"Colin? Sandy?" She asked, beginning to smile.

"Oh, uh, hi, Lynn."

"Dude, it's been ages!" She said as she gave each of them a hug.

"Yeah! We haven't seen you since your senior year! You play for Michigan? I thought you were at Indiana State?"

"Yeah! I transferred last year. I've got the most points on the team this season, plus the most assists, steals, and flagrant fouls. No big deal."

"Wow...that's awesome, Ly-"

"Hey, where's Eddie? I thought he was working here tonight..."

"Oh, uh, Eddie? No, haven't seen him," he lied, glancing over to the counter. Eddie rose his head up, only to immediately draw it back down as he saw Lynn.

"Oh. I kinda wanted to talk to him. Oh, well, I guess. Bring me something to drink," she said dejectedly as she walked over to her table.

Colin and Sandy both went over to the counter.

"Ed? You good?"

"No, I'm not!" He hissed, looking up to his 2 friends. "Me and her were done with years ago!"

"Well, we didn't give away your position. I say you talk to her, Eddie. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Uh, I could, uh.." he stopped, trying to think of a good way to put it.

"Face it, dude. You're scared."

"I am NOT scared! I could go over and talk to Lynn right now if I wanted!"

"Then why aren't you?" A voice said from behind the two waiters.

"HOLY-" Colin shouted as he turned around. He and Sandy were pushed aside as Lynn leaned over the counter.

"I knew you would show up, Ed. When, I didn't know."

"Oh, boy..." he thought. "Hey, Lynn."

He stood up to face her, looking rather nervous.

"How've you been?" She asked, taking a seat at the bar.

"Oh, just dandy," he said, avoiding eye contact as he began to clean a glass. "Business is booming, as usual."

"It always is, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah. I haven't had a day with less than 100 people. It gets wild in here sometimes..."

"I bet... How's Franklin?"

He looked up to face her.

"He's fine," he said coldly. He motioned with his hand for his two friends to leave, which they did.

"That's good..."

"Yep."

"Ok, out with it. What's the problem?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Look, Eddie, I know we didn't exactly leave each other on good terms..."

"Ha! You can say that again!" He jeered as he looked back down at the glass.

"What is your problem?!"

"Oh, I have a lot of them, Lynn. Which one-"

"Oh, stop acting dumb, Eddie!"

"What do you mean? I'm just answering the question!"

"-sigh- You know perfectly well what I mean, Eddie."

"Yeah. I do. You left In the middle of the night to go to Indiana. And you didn't even bother saying goodbye."

"Well, I was GOING to!"

"Were you?" He asked, slamming the glass down onto the table. "Because it sure didn't seem like it!"

"Well, what did you want from me? You knew that I was accepted!"

"Yeah, and I knew that Royal Woods University gave you a full scholarship, too."

"Uh, does RWU have a D1 program?"

"You could have stayed here, Lynn! We could have-"

"Oh, so it's all about YOU now, isn't it?"

"No! I just wanted-"

"Wanted what?"

"I wanted you to tell me!" He said, almost shouting. "I just want you to be happy, Lynn!"

"And I AM happy!"

"But I'm not!"

They stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Eddie took a deep breath before speaking up again.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"-sigh- I didn't think you would want me to go. I thought you'd be dissapointed."

"What?" He asked. "Why in hell would I be disappointed in you?"

"I don't know! I got the offer and I just wanted to go for it, I guess..."

Eddie went to the front of the bar and sat down beside her.

"Lynn, I would have supported you. Wherever you went."

"I know...I just didn't know how you would react. If you would be happy, or sad, or you would..." she stopped.

Eddie, knowing what she was thinking, put his hand on her shoulder.

"Lynn...I'm not Ross. I would never hurt you. NEVER."

They sat in silence, until very softly, Lynn began to cry. Eddie laid his head down softly on her shoulder.

"Hes not gonna hurt you, Lynn. Not ever again."

They stayed there, the rest of the team eating their post game meal in silence.

Finally, Lynn wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"Feel better, champ?" He asked her. She slowly nodded, giving a small smile.

"Alright then. How about something to drink? On the house."

"Yeah, I could use a drink. Can I get a Coke?"

"Sure thing!" He said, reaching under the cabinet for a can of soda. He slid it across the table to her as he got a glass and began to pour himself a glass of Guiness. It was St Patrick's Day, after all.

But before he took a sip, he stopped. He looked at Lynn, seeing the scars in her eyes. He saw Ross, abusing the woman that he "loved." He visualized the pain, the agony of the one sided relationship...

He reached down and grabbed another Coke, dumping the beer down the sink.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked as he took a seat next to her.

"Oh, I don't know. I guess I'm going sober for today..."

They drank their soda, talking and laughing the night away. And in the process, forgetting the past and beginning the future.


End file.
